Game apparatus.



No. 865,794. Y PATENTBD SEPT. 1o, 1907.

' H. B. MGGULLOGH.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLIoATroN FILED APR. 10.1907.

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HENRY B. INICGULLOCH, OF CANTON, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

Specication of Letters Patent.

GAME APPARATUS.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

Application filed April 10, 1907. Serial No. 367,411. I

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. MCCULLOCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Blain and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Game Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to game apparatus.

It has for an object to provide an improved game apparatus of the bowling alley type,

A further object is to provide an improved means for setting up the pins, which means may .be adjusted to set up all or a portion of the pins.

A still further object is to provide a yielding means for holding the pins against accidental falling.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the parts and the combinations of parts hereinafter described shown inthe accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal section through the apparatus showing the beds and troughs in section. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the pin holding means. Fig. 5 is a front view of the setting means. Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the setting means setting three pins.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a frame supported on legs 2. The frame may be made of any suitable size and of any suitable material. For the greater portion of its length, the frame is formed with a bed 3 on the sides of which are arranged troughs 4 which are inclined toward one end of the frame. The bed and the troughs are preferably covered with cloth so that when the balls roll on the same, little or no noise will be made.

Near the opposite end of the frame, is arranged a transverse rod or shaft 5 on which loosely turn the pins 6 which may be of any suitable number and are held apart by spacers 7. The rod passes through the pins near their centers and the pins are surrounded at their lower ends by rubber cushions 8 in the form of bands which serve to prevent wear of the pins and at the same time, to prevent noise. When the pins are vertical, balls rolled toward them on bed 3 will engagetheir lower ends below their pivots and turn them on the shaft 5, the balls afterward passing to the rear of the pins where the frame is formed to direct the balls to the troughs, being thereby returned to the front end of the frame.

To restore the pins there is provided a setting member. This setting member is hinged at its upper edge by a pair of hollow pintles 11 and 12, which are journaled in the side walls of frame 1. One of these pintles 12, carries a crank arm 13 to which is connected a rod 14 which leads to a setting lever 15 located at the front end of the frame. When the pins are upright, the setting member lies horizontally so as not to interfere with the swinging of the pins when the latter are engaged by the balls.

The setting member is formed of a plate 9 which is provided with cutaway portions 16. These cutaway portions are of such a size as to permit the pins thatlie opposite them, to pass therethrough when the setting member is turned to set the pins. It is thus possible to set up a number of pins less than the whole number.

So that these cut away portions will not prevent the set`- ting up of all the pins, the plate carries a metallic slide in the form of a rod 10 and two plates, 17.

To set up a number of pins, less than the whole number thereof, the plate 9, having the cut-away portions 16, is oscillated, using the rod 10 as a pivot, thus allowing the pins in front of the cut-away portions to enter the same, that is to say, when the plates 17 are not covering'the said cut-away portions. In this way, the pins that are in front of the solid portion of the plate 9 will be i positioned vertically as will be clearly manifest.

The rod works in the hollow pintles 12 and at one end, extends to the outside of the frame, where it is provided with a knob by which the slide may beoperated to open and to close the cut away portions 16. The lower edges of plates 17, slide in a metal guide 18 which is arranged along the edge of the plate 9 and also serves to strengthen said plate 9.

To prevent the pins falling over by jars on the frame, there is arranged in the rear of the pins a plurality of yielding clamps. Each clamp consists of two wooden bars secured at their rear ends only each bar being reduced at 19 to make it yielding and having its end 20' formed to engage one face of a pin, the two bars holding a pin between them. All bars of all the clamps are arranged in the same plane and are provided with alined bores through which passes a rod 21 which is adjustable to vary the pressure of the clamps on the pins.

This invention may be built of a size to be used in the ordinary dwelling and is so constructed that the noise usually found in a bowling alley is not present. It is a portable apparatus and does not require an attendant `to set up the pins.

vided with cut away portions each o1 a size to permit oneof the pins to pass therethrough, and means for closing said cut away portions.

i). The combination with a series 0f pivoted pins, of a hinged setting member for the pins, comprising a plate provided with cut away portions each of a size to permit one of the pins to pass therethrough and a slide for closing said cut away portions.

4. In a game apparatus, a bed, pins pivoted near their centers, at one end of the bed, a plurality' of yielding clamps formed of a plurality of bars arranged in the same plane, secured at one end, and provided with alined bores,

a tie-rod passing through the bores for adjusting the pres- 1() sure of the bars on the pins, and means for setting a number of pins less the Whole number.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY B. MCCULLOCH. Witnesses:

OHM P. WILLIS, T. .T. TALBoY. 

